Modular vacuum system

ABSTRACT

A modular vacuum system includes a plurality of power heads configured to be removably coupled to a plurality of canisters, each canister having a debris collection chamber of a different capacity, a first power source configured to output a first voltage, and a second power source configured to output the first voltage. A first power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source, and includes a first suction motor rated to operate at a first performance level defined by the first voltage. A second power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source with the second power source, and includes a second suction motor rated to operate at a second performance level greater than the first performance level.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/426,068, filed May 30, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,291,339, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/680,134 filed on Jun. 4, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners.

Vacuum cleaners may include a power head including a fan and a motor for generating a suction airflow. The suction airflow supplied by the vacuum cleaner is often used for collecting debris and depositing the debris in a collector or compartment. These collectors are often removable from the power head to empty the collector

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a modular vacuum system including a first canister with a first capacity configured to store debris, a second canister with a second capacity greater than the first capacity, a first power head and a second power head. The first power head is coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The first power head is operable at a first voltage to generate a first suction airflow, and the first power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the first suction airflow. The first canister stores debris separated from the first suction airflow. The first power head can be coupled to the second canister such that the second canister receives the first suction airflow. The second canister stores debris separated from the first suction airflow. The second power head can be coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The second power head is operable at a second voltage, greater than the first voltage, to generate a second suction airflow, and the second power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the second suction airflow. The first canister stores debris separated from the second suction airflow. The second power head can be coupled to the second canister such that the second canister receives the second suction airflow. The second canister stores debris separated from the second suction airflow.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a modular vacuum system including a first canister with a first capacity configured to store debris, a second canister with a second capacity greater than the first capacity, and a power head that can be coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The power head is operable to generate a suction airflow. The power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the suction airflow and the first canister stores debris separated from the suction airflow. The power head can be coupled to the second canister having a greater capacity than the first canister such that the second canister receives the suction airflow and the second canister stores debris separated from the suction airflow.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the modular vacuum system according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the modular vacuum system of FIG. 1 with a canister and a power head removed from a cart.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power head removed from the canister.

FIG. 4 illustrates a variety of canisters with mating cross-sections corresponding to a mating cross-section of the power head.

FIG. 5 illustrates a variety of canister paired with a variety of power heads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a modular vacuum system 10. The modular vacuum system 10 includes a first power head 12, a second power head 14, a first canister 16, a second canister 17, a third canister 18 and a base 20. The power heads 12, 14 can be connected to canisters 16, 17, 18 by using a latch 19, and the canisters 16, 17, 18 can be connected to the base 20. The latch 19 can be actuated to lock or release the power heads 12, 14 to the canisters 16, 17, 18. The power heads 12, 14 have different performance levels and the canisters 16, 17, 18 have different capacities. Therefore, the user can select the power head performance, the canister size, and the base 20 for a modular and custom design to fit the user's needs.

FIG. 5 illustrates the first power head 12 and the second power head 14. The first power head 12 has a first performance level and includes a first fan 21 and a first motor 22. The second power head 14 has a second performance level generally exceeding the first performance level and includes a second fan 23 and a second motor 24. The first performance level has a first voltage and the second performance level has a second voltage greater than the first voltage. The first voltage is provided by an 18 volt lithium-ion battery 25. The second voltage is provided by two of the 18 volt lithium-ion batteries 25 that create a 36 volt system. In other embodiments, different battery voltages can be used. In another embodiment, the power heads 12, 14 include an AC power input 26 to charge the 18 volt lithium-ion battery 25, and/or to power the power heads 12, 14 when the 18 volt lithium-ion battery 25 is not used. In yet another embodiment, the power heads 12, 14 may be only powered by the AC power input 26. The power heads 12, 14 may include a horizontal filter. The filter is interchangeable for various purposes—wet, dust, HEPA, etc. In one embodiment, the filter includes a visual indicator on the side of the filter so the user knows what type of filter (e.g. wet, dust, HEPA, etc.) is installed.

As shown in the FIGS. 4 and 5, the canisters 16, 17, 18 have multiple canister sizes. In the illustrated embodiment, the first canister 16 has a capacity ranging from two gallons to six gallons. The second canister 17 has a capacity ranging seven gallons to sixteen gallons. In other embodiments the canisters 16, 17, 18 may have capacities ranging from two gallons to twenty gallons. The canisters 16, 17, 18 have an open upper end 27 and a closed lower end 28. FIG. 5 illustrates the first canister 16 with a first height 30 measured from the open upper end 27 to the closed lower end 28. The second canister 17 has a second height 31 and the third canister 18 has a third height 32. The shape of the open upper end 27 has a first polygonal cross-section 33 and the shape of the closed lower end 28 has a second polygonal cross-section 34. The size and shape of the open upper end 27 and closed lower end 28 are consistent across the canisters 16, 17, 18. Therefore, the capacity of each canister in the illustrated embodiments is varied by the heights 30, 31, 32 of the canisters 16, 17, 18. The canisters 16, 17, 18 can connect with the power heads 12, 14 at the open upper end 27, and they can connect to the base 20 at the closed lower end 28.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 20 includes a handle 38, a release 40, a wheels 41, and a brake 42. The release 40 is used for unlocking the canisters 16, 17, 18 from the base 20 (e.g., for emptying or for changing the canister or the base). In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 38 is an adjustable handle connected to the base 20 used to move the canisters 16, 17, 18 when they are attached to the base 20. The release 40 is a release lever actuated to remove the canisters 16, 17, 18 from the base 20. In one embodiment, the release 40 may be foot actuated release lever. In the illustrated embodiment, the brake 42 prevents the base 20 from moving by locking at least one of the wheels 41.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the canisters 16, 17, 18 can stand freely without the base 20. That is, the canisters 16, 17, 18 can be set on the ground, and the modular vacuum system 10 can be used without the base 20. In some embodiments, the canisters 16, 17, 18 may include integrated handle(s) for emptying.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the modular vacuum system 10 includes an inlet 44 attached to the first power head 12. A hose 48 is removably coupled to the inlet 44. During the operation of the modular vacuum system 10, the first motor 22 is operated at the first voltage to generate a first suction airflow through the inlet 44. The first suction airflow collects debris that passes through the inlet 44. The debris is separated from the first suction airflow and stored in the canisters 16, 17, 18. In one embodiment, the inlet 44 may be attached to the second power head 14. In that embodiment, the second motor 24 generates a second suction airflow through the inlet 44, where the second suction airflow collects debris, and the debris is separated from the second suction airflow and deposited in the canisters 16, 17, 18. FIG. 5 illustrates the modularity of the modular vacuum system 10 illustrates the canisters 16, 17, 18 coupled to the power heads 12, 14 such that the canisters 16, 17, 18 may receive the first or second suction airflow generated by the power heads 12, 14. In yet another embodiment, the inlet 44 may be attached the canisters 16, 17, 18. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular vacuum system comprising: a plurality of canisters, wherein each of the plurality of canisters includes a capacity different from another one of the plurality of canisters, each canister being configured to store debris; a plurality of power heads, wherein each of the plurality of power heads can be coupled to any one of the plurality of canisters, the plurality of power heads including a first power head including a first suction motor rated for a first performance level and configured to receive a range of different voltages, and a second power head including a second suction motor rated for a second performance level higher than the first performance level and configured to receive the range of different voltages; and a wheeled base that can selectively receive each of the canisters.
 2. The modular vacuum system of claim 1, wherein the wheeled base includes a release that can be actuated to remove the canisters from the wheeled base.
 3. The modular vacuum system of claim 2, wherein the release is foot actuated lever, the wheeled base further including a handle graspable by a user to move the wheeled base and one or more brakes selectively locking movement of the wheeled base.
 4. The modular vacuum system of claim 1, further comprising a first battery configured to provide a first voltage and a second battery configured to provide a second voltage.
 5. The modular vacuum system of claim 4, wherein the first battery and the second battery are configured to provide the range of different voltages.
 6. The modular vacuum system of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of power heads further includes an AC power input configured to provide the range of different voltages with the first battery and the second battery.
 7. The modular vacuum system of claim 6, wherein the AC power input can be used to charge the first battery and the second battery.
 8. The modular vacuum system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of canisters includes an open upper end and a closed lower end, the open upper end of each of the plurality of canisters having a commonly sized and shaped perimeter.
 9. The modular vacuum system of claim 8, wherein the commonly sized and shaped perimeter of each of the plurality of canisters has a polygonal cross-section.
 10. The modular vacuum system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of canisters includes an open upper end and a closed lower end, the closed lower end of each of the plurality of canisters having a commonly sized and shaped perimeter.
 11. The modular vacuum system of claim 10, wherein the wheeled base includes a support area configured to receive the commonly sized and shaped closed lower end of each of the plurality of canisters, each of the plurality of canisters being selectively lockable in the support area, and wherein the release can be actuated to unlock the canisters from within the support area.
 12. A modular vacuum system comprising: a first canister configured to store debris, the first canister having a first capacity; a second canister configured to store debris, the second canister having a second capacity greater than the first capacity; a first power head selectively coupled to either the first canister or the second canister, the first power head including a first suction motor rated for a first performance level, and a single battery receptacle in electrical communication with the first suction motor; a second power head selectively coupled to either the first canister or the second canister, the second power head including a second suction motor rated for a second performance level greater than the first performance level, and a plurality of battery receptacles in electrical communication with the second suction motor.
 13. The modular vacuum system of claim 12, wherein the single battery receptacle of the first power head is configured to receive a first battery capable of providing a first voltage or a second battery capable of providing a second voltage greater than the first voltage, and wherein each of the plurality of battery receptacles of the second power head is configured to receive the first battery and the second battery.
 14. The modular vacuum system of claim 13, wherein the first suction motor can be powered by the first battery or the second battery but is only rated for the first performance level.
 15. The modular vacuum system of claim 14, wherein the second suction motor can be powered by the first battery, the second battery, or both, but is only rated for the second performance level.
 16. The modular vacuum system of claim 15, further comprising a base including one or more wheels, a support area configured to receive a closed lower end of the first canister and the second canister, the first canister and the second canister each being selectively and interchangeably lockable in the support area, and a release that can be actuated to unlock each of the first canister and the second canister from within the support area, thereby allowing separation from the base.
 17. A modular vacuum system comprising: a plurality of power heads configured to be removably coupled to a plurality of canisters, each canister having a debris collection chamber of a different capacity; a first power source configured to output a first voltage; and a second power source configured to output the first voltage, wherein a first power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source, and includes a first suction motor rated to operate at a first performance level defined by the first voltage, and wherein a second power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source with the second power source, and includes a second suction motor rated to operate at a second performance level greater than the first performance level.
 18. The modular vacuum system of claim 17, wherein the first power head is further configured to receive a third power source configured to output a voltage different than the first voltage, but is restricted from operating above the first performance level.
 19. The modular vacuum system of claim 18, wherein the second power head is further configured to receive the third power source.
 20. The modular vacuum system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of power heads further includes an AC power input configured to charge the first power source and the second power source, and further configured to provide voltage to first suction motor and the second suction motor. 